Using with a Nikon D70, any "real" difference in these lenses besides price? Would like to hear your opinion. Going to a supershoots soon and only have a 4.5 currently. Will I wish I had bought the 2.8 prior to the shoot? Thanks in advance.

I have the 2.8 VR, and when travelling light it is the only lens I use. Shooting outdoors, I appreciate the additional light gathering capacity and control over depth of field. To really put a dent in your wallet, I recommend the VR, which works very well and gives you just that much more "edge".

The depth of field issue certainly is important in the studio but the real difference is image quality. My 80-200 2.8 is far superior to the 70-210 I had. And It was pretty good. The color, contrast, and mostly the sharpness, make the pro lens worth every penny if you can afford it. If I had the money for the VR, it would be a no-brainer decision. If there is one drawback, it's the extra weight, but that's not so bad.

Thanks for your input guys. I've secured a Nikkor 70-200 2.8 VR for the supershoots weekend. I'd hate to have any excuse other than my own skills for bad photographs [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]